RED AGRICOLA PERÚ – Niche opportunities for small producers INIAGRAPE-ONE grape earns a place in England’s premium market. JULY 2016.

A development project made by six chilean small producers and a Fair Trade certification is setting the standard of how to open new export markets. This year they sent the first Iniagrape-one grape production to England, where it surpasses the price of traditional black grapes and might compete with the Sable variety in the premium market. For the next season they expect to triple the quantities, going for the Fair Trade niche. It’s a sunny afternoon in late March in El Higueral, in the San Esteban district, Los Andes Province. The table grape arbours are practically empty because of the recent harvest. The grape is on it’s way to England by ship and is expected to arrive by mid april. Guillermo Nieto, the owner of the property, picks a few grapes from a cluster that is still hanging and savors them: they are sweet but with a soft bitter hint and the seeds are barely noticeable. He is optimistic about MiFrutaChile S.A. development project´s first Iniagrape-one shipment, a new chilean grape variety that hopes to win over european and worldwide markets.